I Want It Too

Jane Austen, in her book, Pride and Prejudice, depicts the story of an English drama story full of plot-twisting misunderstandings. Austen’s purpose is to use the setting of an upper-class English society to show the dangers of misjudging people and show the struggles of being a woman. She adopts a rebellious tone in order to increase feminist feelings in her educated readers. Jane Austen uses rhetorical devices to convey the idea that women were treated unfairly and had fewer rights than men.

The first topic that Jane Austen brought up in Pride and Prejudice was the topic of women’s education. During that time period, children would be educated by their parents or by a tutor, depending on the preferences and financial situation of the parents. Some schools did exist, but they were mostly boy-only schools. Since women generally did not go into high political positions or work that required a high intellect, high education for women seemed unnecessary. Women were generally taught certain talents like playing music or speak foreign languages. Elizabeth Bennet had the ability to play the piano, but she does not give much effort into it. ``My fingers,'' said Elizabeth, ``do not move over this instrument in the masterly manner which I see so many women's do. They have not the same force or rapidity and do not produce the same expression. But then I have always supposed it to be my own fault -- because I would not take the trouble of practicing.” (Austen, 31). Austen might have been commenting that women should not learn trivial talents like playing the piano and should learn things of more use. She also added another statement through Darcy, “`and to all this, she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading.'' (Austen, 8). Jane Austen is commenting that women should not just learn useful skills and should read more books that have deep ideas in them. Jane Austen voiced her complaints about the lack of women’s education through the rhetorical device of using her character’s opinions.

Another topic that Jane Austen brought up to further her feminist ideas was the topic of marriage. During that time period, women could not live by themselves or they would be deemed “unlady-like”. They had to live with their families or with family-approved guardians. Lady Catherine, in Pride and Prejudice, said that “Young women should always be properly guarded and attended, according to their situation in life" (Austen, 37). Marriage was the only way a lady could escape their family and live on their own. This aspect of Romantic Period marriage was shown through all the women in Pride and Prejudice, but particularly Charlotte. She decides to marry Mr. Collins for the “pure and disinterested desire of an establishment” (Austen, 22). Charlotte just wanted her own house to live in, and marriage was the only way to get it. In Pride and Prejudice, the Bennet sisters had to get married or face poverty. Mrs. Bennet scolded Elizabeth saying, "If you go on refusing every offer of marriage, you will never get a husband -- and I am sure I do not know who is to maintain you when your father is dead." (20). Jane Austen demonstrated the idea that without a husband or a father it was almost impossible for a woman to maintain a high standard of living. Jane Austen communicated the idea that women had to marry for reasons other than love.

Jane Austen also illustrated many of her society’s sexual double standards. In Pride and Prejudice, Wickham and Lydia, Elizabeth’s little sister, fell in “love” and had sex together outside of marriage. For women during that time, having sex out of marriage would shun them from polite society and put them in bad standing with most people. For men, there were little consequences. This was shown in Pride and Prejudice when Lydia was treated with contempt while Wickham was treated indifferently. Mr. Collins went so far as to say that “The death of your daughter would have been a blessing in comparison of this” (Austen, 48). Lydia faced the fire while Wickham simply left the country to marry some other woman. Through this example in her book, Jane Austen was able to describe a double standard in the Romantic Period English Society.

Combining all these topics together, we can see that Jane Austen meant to voice her opinion that women were treated unequally. She did this through the topics of marriage, double standards, and education. Jane Austen would be pleased to know that women can now be independent and free to choose whoever they want to marry.

“Pride and Prejudice-Notes on Education, Marriage, Status of Women, etc.”, The republic of Pemberley.2004. http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/pptopic2.html. April 8, 2019